Mona Barthel, Petra Martic advance to the semi-finals – eBoks Sony Ericsson Open 2011
Mona Barthel beats Bethanie Mattek-Sands 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
World number 142 Mona Barthel of Germany fought back after the bashing in the opening set to upset world number 31 Bethanie Mattek-Sands of USA in three sets 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of eBoks Sony Ericsson Open in Copenhagen
on Friday. The match lasted for two hours and three minutes.
Mattek-Sands thrashed Barthel in the opening set as she allowed the German to win only one game, capturing the set 6-1. The American saved all the four break points she faced and converted two of the six break points she received
on Barthel’s serve in the first set.
The German came back in the second set as she broke Mattek-Sands in the eighth game to win it 6-3. Barthel delivered one ace and 62 percent of the first serves, sealing 56 percent of the points on them in the second set.
Carrying the winning momentum into the deciding set, Barthel broke the American in the ninth game, consolidating on it to win the set 6-4.
Talking to the journalists after the match, Barthel said, "In the first set Bethanie played incredibly well. I had no chance. I just tried to stay calm and tried to believe that one or two balls could change the match. She started
giving me a few errors in the second and third sets."
The German will meet world number 1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the semi-finals.
Petra Martic defeats Alona Bondarenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
World number 112 Petra Martic of Croatia rallied past Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, ranked 114th in the world, in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 into the semi-finals. The Croatian took just under two hours to oust her opponent.
Martic drew the first blood as she broke Bondarenko in the seventh game of the first set, winning it 6-4. The Croatian fired four aces but committed the same number of double faults in the first set.
Bondarenko fought back in the second set, breaking Martic in the eighth game and winning the set 6-3. The Ukrainian saved six of the seven break points she faced and converted two of the four break points she received on Martic’s
serve in the second set.
The Croatian regained her composure in the final set and broke her opponent in the sixth game, consolidating on it and grabbing the set 6-3.
Martic said, after the match, "We both made a few unforced errors and struggled with our rhythm, but I think I played a little bit better in the important points, the break points. It made a difference. When I came to this tournament
I had been struggling with my confidence, but I like playing indoors.”
The Croatian will face world number 38 Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic in the semi-finals.
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